Towards Enlightenment (Poetry)

They put the future in a pot
and watered it with lies.
It grew into a noxious weed
of quite unwieldy size.

It smothered every other plant
and shut out natural light
until the gloomy world was plunged
into perpetual night.

And men forgot there’d been a time
of freedom — long ago
when hope and even happiness
has been allowed to grow

before the horror-movie weed
had gotten hold and spread
’til nothing in the forest dare
raise up a questing head.

Thus every sane idea was quashed
bleak desert ruled the land
religious bigots scattered seed
and sanctified the sand.

Now history has lost its way
lush jungle deemed a myth
and those who dig up tree roots find
strange thoughts to tangle with ...

But fed a single drop of truth
the weed is doomed to die
once revolution sends its rain
to liberate the sky

and turn the clock back to those days
when gardens flourished wild
and caring hearts and minds bore fruit
to feed the future’s child.

Although the hour’s getting late
the fight is far from done.
The weed turns withered — leaf by leaf.
Enlightenment will come.